The Late Middle Ages : The Age Of Discovery And Innovation

1224 WordsMar 8th, 20165 Pages

The Late Middle Ages were characterized by both periods of decline and periods of transition into the Renaissance. Therefore, if only viewed through some aspects, the overall quality of the Late Middle Ages can be interpreted in vastly different ways. When all events are taken into account, it is evident that even though there were periods of extreme decline and cultural deficiency, numerous events helped transition Europe into an age of discovery and innovation.
The Late Middle Ages are sometimes considered “the Dark Ages” due to the decline in literary advancement and the increase in adversities and superstitions. The Black Death, or Bubonic Plague, had a major influence on the overall decline of the Late Middle Ages. Some records indicate that the Plague killed nearly 60 percent of the population of Europe, about 50 million people, in the 14th century. Europeans, most of them devout Christians, frantically searched for an explanation beyond their understanding. By turning to God, many believed that He was punishing them. Giovanni Boccaccio’s “The Decameron” gives us an in-depth look into the calamity that was the Bubonic Plague. “And some holding it best to live temperately, and to avoid excesses of all kinds, made parties, and shut themselves up from the rest of the world; eating and drinking moderately of the best, diverting themselves with music, and such other entertainments as they might have within doors; never listening to anything from without, to make them…

Although the late Gothic Period proved a faster rate in development of clothing in Northern Europe than earlier in the Middle Ages, it did not compare to the Italian Renaissance’s radical development of costume in both pace and style. There were many changes in costume and clothing during the Late Gothic period compared to the previous centures, as urban areas and populations grew and continued to influence the regions surrounding them. With the feudal system gone, little attention was paid to the…

Chapter 12: Crisis of the Later Middle Ages
What were the causes of the population decline that began in the early 14th century?
The significant population decline that began in the early 14th-century was caused primarily by “Great Famine,” and The Black Death. Beginning in 1315, the Great Famine brought seven years of starvation and vulnerability for Northern Europe. The winter of 1315 was said to be a “little ice age,” which evidently lead to crops dying off. Crops and grain were the main…

The Middle Ages, or Medieval Times, lasted from the fifth to fifteenth centuries in European history. Specifically, 1300-1500 brought about the period known as the Late Middle Ages. In this period, a decline of the quality of life became apparent. The Late Middle Ages is viewed largely as the early beginnings of what would become the Renaissance only a couple of centuries later. Even being the late part of the Middle Ages, much of this time was still prevalently medieval much like the earlier centuries…

The Middle Ages, often referred to as the Dark Ages, was regarded to be a time of despair, disease, and death. Just as the name the “Dark Ages” suggests, this period of European history seemed to be surrounded by darkness and hopelessness. Unfortunately, the majority of people only see this side of the Middle Ages when, in fact, the Middle Ages was a much more important era. Especially during the late Middle Ages, one can find a change in orthodox social structure, political instability mostly concerned…

The middle ages of the west during the tenth to thirteenth centuries were a time of technological innovation. This revolution focused on the study and exploitation of various sources of energy, particularly water and wind, as well as the discovery of new mineral resources and a revolution in agriculture that rivaled that of industry. This boom brought about a cluster of new methods and devices that propelled urban growth and a firm belief in progress. The revolution of the middle age also shows the…

Given the prevalence of books, magazines, and newspapers in everyday life today, it is difficult to imagine a world without print. The transition from the essentially oral culture of the late Middle Ages to the print culture of the Renaissance fundamentally changed human interaction. In Western society, the invention of the printing press and subsequent widespread literacy signaled the shift away from a primarily oral culture to a literate, print culture. Many scholars, including Plato and Harold…

and humble innovation make the barren history out of the dark middle Ages. Then again, these attributes accomplish more than characterize the lifestyle of a medieval public opinion. Dismissed expressions, absence of training and adulterating forces portray a human advancement ousted by a period of obscurity. These dismal dark ages are incited by quickly spreading sickness, forcing foes, and extortionate forces. By seeing how these scourges, intrusions, and defilements shape a dull age, the medieval…

effects and developments that the humanities of the Early, High and Late Middle ages had on society. We have made some very interesting findings and come up with some intriguing conclusions. The findings are most definitely in condensed form for the simplicity of our assignment, although if given an unbridled word count, surely we would demonstrate volumes of text form such interesting periods.
The Early Middle Ages
Before we can talk about humanities, we must first define the word…

The Middle Ages, contrary to its name, was a dynamic period of innovations. Throughout this period, visual arts were employed to communicate important messages to the public as well as private wealthy patrons. A variety of mediums were used to disseminate ideas. Though, the sense of decorum shifted, the purpose of these moralizing images of religious figures remained the same. Art was, as it still is an extremely useful and powerful tool for both religious and political advancements. The two pieces…

The Danse Macabre in Late Middle Ages
In the History of Art, the theme of death was always present, because death is a part of life. For the Christian people in the Middle Ages, death is a way to be close to God and to reach Heaven. Dying was part of life.
But the dreary and scary side of the end of life was absent from art and culture.1 In the end of the Fourteenth century there is a real wave of death and macabre in art. In the same time the Danse of Death appear progressively in art and…